For The Love Of Port

I was out Port hunting today at some NJ B&M's and came across 6 bottles of 1910 Andresen Colheita bottled in 1994 as well as 5 bottles of Ramos Pinto 1934 VP. I inquired about the price of the Andresen and one of the workers told me that they were not for sale because they couldn't figure out how much to charge for them. He explained that they had purchased the store from the original owner 12 years ago and they had sent an email to Andresen asking them what the going rate should be. They didn't hear anything back so they weren't offering them for sale. I thought that was a crazy explanation but I bit my tongue. I didn't mention Wine-Searcher to them, but I looked it up when I got home and they're being sold for anywhere from $1,170 on up. I might go back next weekend and take a stab at offering him a set price for the 6 bottles, but at a lower price apiece.

The Ramos Pinto 1934 looked like they were in a little rougher shape. A few of them were leakers. I didn't inquire about price. It was still amazing to see both of them at the same place. They also had multiple Kopke Colheitas, Barros Colheitas from various years, 6 bottles of 1996 Noval Nacionals and some rarely seen 30 and 40 year old TWAIOA. Nothing spectacular on the TWAIOA but certainly interesting. I did purchase some interesting VP Ports, Colheitas, TWAIOA and LBV's at decent prices from a few B&M's today.

P.S. I almost forgot. I came across a 1941 Quinta do Noval Colheita (bottled 2001) in my travels today. Pricey but intriguing.

The 1910 Andresen is a great, great wine. Get all you can.

I was back at the store where I saw the 6 bottles of 1910 Andresen Colheita. They gave me a price of $3,500...a bottle. I politely thanked them but declined. I did buy some less expense Port from them today though.

Per bottle, that's way too much. Price of mid 19th century wines in fancy bottles/crystal.

It is a great wine, but even at retail it should be more like $1000. There's a bottle on wine-searcher.com for $890 if you want to order from California.

1910 Andresen, two yums way up. God was that a great Port!

You can never have that one too many times in your life ... like the 1945 Croft or 1931 Noval ... except older and brown.

I came across a 1941 Quinta do Noval Colheita (bottled 2001) in my travels today. Pricey but intriguing.

I have in my cellar a Noval 'Garrafeira Velha' - bottled in 1941..

Mike J. W. wrote: ↑Sat Aug 22, 2020 3:14 pm I was out Port hunting today at some NJ B&M's and came across 6 bottles of 1910 Andresen Colheita bottled in 1994 ... [emphasis added]

I think the bottling date should not be ignored here when it comes to pricing. I know some people think that a colheita can improve with time in the bottle, but the general consensus is that it does not. And time in the bottle in a well controlled cellar vs. sitting on a store shelf in the open are not the same. While pricing can be all over the place, my experience sometimes, and opinion in general, is that the more time in the bottle for these colheitas, and TWIOA as well, should decrease the price compared to the same vintage recently bottled.

I know some people think that a colheita can improve with time in the bottle, but the general consensus is that it does not.

There is certainly a consensus amongst those who haven't tried bottle aged colheitas, which includes many writers and some producers.

But amongst those who've enjoyed them, a very different consensus emerges. There is the odd exception, where the wine was too aggressively fined and filtered prior to bottling, but the vast majority age with great elegance.

But.. - by all means tell everyone that these old bottlings are past their best, to keep the price down for those in the know!

Tom Archer wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 9:42 am But amongst those who've enjoyed them, a very different consensus emerges. There is the odd exception, where the wine was too aggressively fined and filtered prior to bottling, but the vast majority age with great elegance.

But even for the people that desire or appreciate a bottle aged colheita, do you want one that has been sitting on a store shelf for 26 years, or one that has been cellared properly for that time?

But even for the people that desire or appreciate a bottle aged colheita, do you want one that has been sitting on a store shelf for 26 years, or one that has been cellared properly for that time?

I've drunk and enjoyed many aged tawnies over the years, and one thing that stands out is that fine cellaring is not that important to their maturation - they are far harder to damage than VPs - almost bullet proof indeed.

Aging takes the raw rough edges off a tawny, and it doesn't seem to matter much whether that aging takes place in a cellar or a greenhouse.

I remember the time when a then young and un-married Oscar Quevedo was jetting round the world meeting everyone on the planet who was a port enthusiast, descended upon our motley crew at a restaurant in London's Covent Garden.

He had taken, as gospel, that tawnies only went one way after bottling, but that evening was a massive epiphany to him. Until then he had no prior idea that tawnies could evolve so well, especially if unfiltered.

Even today, around a decade later, when most producer's data sheets on a wine will either say 'unfiltered' - or nothing at all - Quevedo sheets indicate the degree of filtration - albeit in broad terms..

Tom, have you noticed that Monday will be the 21st anniversary of you joining the forum on For The Love of Port? At least it will be according you your profile displayed next to your posts?

Al B. wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 5:10 pm Tom, have you noticed that Monday will be the 21st anniversary of you joining the forum on For The Love of Port? At least it will be according you your profile displayed next to your posts?

There was a computer error some long time ago and for whatever reason it couldn't be fixed. I don't recall anymore the exact details. Perhaps Tom does.

I'm sure that I can fix it

There was a computer error some long time ago and for whatever reason it couldn't be fixed. I don't recall anymore the exact details. Perhaps Tom does.

There was a glitch in the system that cut my membership in two, so that my post counts started from 1 again, and searches didn't pick up the older ones. Eventually that got fixed, but my membership start date then ended up six years ahead of Roy's!

My first post was on August 25th 2005 - I think I signed up a couple of weeks before that. I came across the site quite by chance in it's very early days..